Fargo/Moorhead Human Rights Summit April 2, 2002 Facilitator: Kristi Rudelius-Palmer U of MN Human...
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Transcript of Fargo/Moorhead Human Rights Summit April 2, 2002 Facilitator: Kristi Rudelius-Palmer U of MN Human...
Fargo/Moorhead Human Rights Summit
April 2, 2002
Facilitator:
Kristi Rudelius-Palmer U of MN Human Rights Center
What are Human Rights?
Common Myths about Human Rights
Human Rights are the same as civil rights.
Human Rights violations occur only in poor, foreign countries.
Human Rights are only concerned with violations.
Only adults and lawyers can understand the significance of Human Rights.
Human Rights are only legal rights.
Human Rights Are:the rights that someone has simply because he or she is a human being.
Inalienable/Universal Interconnected IndivisibleBoth Rights and Responsibilities
What were the precursors to 20th century human
rights documents?
Precursors to 20th Century Human Rights Documents
1750 b.C.E. - Code of Hammurabi, Babylonia 1200 - 300 b.C.E. - Old testament 551 - 479 b.C.E. - Analects of Confucius 40 - 100 c.E. - New testament 644 - 656 c.E. - Koran (original text) 1215 - magna Carta, England 1400 - code of Nezahualcoyotl, Aztec 1648 - treaty of Westphalia, Europe 1689 - English bill of rights, England 1776 - declaration of independence, united states 1787 - united states constitution 1791 -united states bill of rights
1863 -Emancipation Proclamation, United States 1864, 1949 -Geneva Conventions, International
Red Cross 1919 -League of Nations Covenant
-International Labor Organization (ILO) Created
1920 -Women gain the right to vote in the U.S. 1926 -Slavery Convention 1945 -United Nations Charter, San Francisco 1947 -Mohandas Gandhi uses non-violent protests
leading India to independence.
19th and 20th century human rights documents and foundations
What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
Why was it created?
Who drafted it?
When was it adopted and by whom?
Five Primary Categories of Human Rights:
Civil RightsPolitical RightsEconomic
RightsSocial RightsCultural Rights
When you expand the civil rights struggle to the level of human rights, you can take the case of the Black man in this country before the nations of the United Nations. You can take it before the General Assembly. You can take Uncle Sam before the World Court. But the only level you can do it on is the level of human rights. Human rights are something that you are born with. Human rights are your God-given rights. Human rights are the rights recognized by all the nations of this earth.
-Malcolm X, Speech presented in Cleveland, Ohio April 3, 1964
Holistic Framework
L eg a l & M ora l C o llec tive In d ivid u a l
H u m an R ig h ts
International Bill of Human Rights
Optional Protocol to the ICCPR(M em b er n a tion s p erm it in d ivid u a ls o r g rou p s
to rep ort p e rson a l h u m an rig h ts vio la tion s to th eU N H u m an R ig h ts C om m ittee )
In t'l C ovenant on C ivi l and Pol i tica l R ights(IC C P R )
A d op ted b y U N G en era l A ssem b ly in 1 9 6 6E n te red in to F orce in 1 9 7 6
In t'l C ovenant on E conom ic , S oc ia l and C ultura l R ights(IC E S C )
A d op ted b y th e U N G en era l A ssem b ly in 1 9 6 6E n te red in to F orce in 1 9 7 6
Universa l D ec la ra tion of Hum an Rights(U D H R )
D ecem b er 1 0 , 1 9 4 8
Human Rights Definitions Declaration - Document stating agreed
upon standards or principles, but which is not legally binding
Covenant/Convention/Treaty - Legally binding agreement between states
Ratification - Formal process by which the legislative body of a state confirms a government’s action in signing a treaty
Reservation - The exceptions that states parties make to a treaty (e.g., provisions within the treaty that the member does not accept)
What is Human Rights Education?
“Where, after all do universal rights begin? In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerned citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”
Eleanor Roosevelt - The Great Question, 1958
The UN resolution declaring the Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995-2004, states:
Human rights education should involve more than the provisions of education and should constitute a comprehensive life-long process by which people at all levels in development and in all strata of society learn respect for the dignity of others and the means and methods of ensuring that respect in all societies.
Education about human rights provides people with information about human rights.
Education for human rights helps people feel the importance of human rights, internalize human rights values and integrate them into the way they live.
Education for human rights also gives people a sense of responsibility for respecting and defending human rights and empowers them, through learned skills, to take appropriate action.
Why Human Rights Education?
Human Rights Education:
Produces changes in values and attitudes Produces changes in behavior Produces empowerment for social justice Develops attitudes of solidarity across
issues and nations Develops knowledge and analytical skills Produces participatory education
Human Rights USA 1997 Survey Results
Only 8% of adults and 4% of young people are aware of and can name the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
A large majority of Americans, 83%, feel that the United States should do more to live up to the principles of the UDHR.
2/3 of the people polled (63%) say that the poor are usually discriminated against in our society. Americans also feel that the following are routinely discriminated against: the disabled (61%), the elderly (54%), gays and lesbians (51%), Native Americans (50%), and African Americans (41%).
Does human rights education really work?
*Snapshot of 1997 study conducted at Minneapolis Public Elementary School by The Search Institute and Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
Change in self-report of knowledge of human rights related issues
0
5
10
15
Pre-test Post-test Follow-up
know
ledg
e sc
ale
scor
e
HRE studentsControl group
Changes in self report of feeling bothered when people put down others because of differences*
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Pre-test Post-test
HRE StudentsControl Students
* Question #19: “It really bothers me when people put down other people
because they look or act differently.”
1997 Human Rights Education Behavioral Outcomes
Inappropriate Physical Activity
Inappropriate Verbal
Uncooperative Behavior
No HR Education 11 25 14HRE 3x a week 4 6 3HRE Fully Integrated 0 0 0
How do we move from learning about human rights to action on a personal and community level?
Goals of a Human Rights Learning Community
Know your human rights Value your human rights Be inspired to take action toward
realizing human rights for yourself and others
Building A Human Rights City in Fargo/Moorhead:
Attributes of Personal and Community Growth
Connect
HealAct
Reflect
Celebrate
Inspire
Value
Know
How do we build our Human Rights City?
Measuring Human Rights City “Temperature”
Housing 58%Health care 19%Neighborhood 53%Police 48%Churches 11%Shopping 28%City Govt. 24%Employment 31%
Moorhead – Inspired to Action in 2001
January 31, 2001: Minnesota advisory council presented US Commission Civil Rights report, “The status of equal opportunity for minorities in Moorhead”.
February-April 2001: 30 study circles met throughout the community to discuss report.
Moorhead – Inspired to Action
April 26, 2001: Forum held at the Hjemkost center and sponsored by the Moorhead HR Commission.
October 9, 2001: Meeting of the commission with citizens serving on justice circle action teams.
December, 2001: MHRC presented copies of the citizen action team reports to the Moorhead City Council.
2002 Human Rights Priorities in Fargo/Moorhead
Education: safety, comfort and success of learners. Housing and Public Accommodations: city of
Moorhead to expand affordable housing options. Income and Employment: public & private sectors will
ensure fair business practices & welcoming environment.
Public Health: acknowledge racism as a public health issue & work to eliminate it.
Public Safety: safe environment for community residents.
Cultural Understanding & Competence: foster harmony and appreciation of multiple cultures.
Faith-Based Groups: increase interfaith cooperation. Human Rights Advocacy: effective human rights
advocacy and monitoring. Leadership Development and Civic Participation: tap
resources and support development of new leadership.
Media: increase positive images and reports of people of color and culturally diverse programming.
2002 Human Rights Education and Advocacy Strategies to Inspire, Evolve, and Celebrate our Human Rights City
How will we gauge the Progress in Realizing our Human Rights City?
Annual HR Statical Report Card
Community Testimonies
Public Education and Events
Course Offerings
Graduation Rates
Income Comparisons
Hiring Trends in Public and PrivateSectors
Recruitment of People of Color inEducational Institutions
Arrests and conviction Rates
Homeownership Rates
Legal Assistance to end racialdiscrimination
Who are the Stakeholders and Responsible Partners in our Human Rights City?
Other Community Members
Mayor
City Council
Other Officials
School Suprintendent
Principals
Teachers and Staff
Students
Parents
President
Faculty
Student Focus Groups
Communty Education
Largest Private Employers
Who will monitor the progress of our Human Rights City?
Human RightsCommission/RelationsCommittee
Human RightsReports/Media Team
NGO Leaders andCommunity of Faiths
University Faculty andStudent Reseachers
Youth and Elder Leadership
School District HRCommittees
Teachers and Staff
How will this progress be shared with and recognized in the larger community?
REGULAR HR REPORT INMEDIA
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS &COURSES
HUMAN RIGHTS FAIR
HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORSLISTSERVE
HUMAN RIGHTS CITY NEWS
HUMAN RIGHTS & PEACE PARK
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITYAND YOUTH AWARDS
CULTURAL ART EXHIBITS
HUMAN RIGHTS RESOURCECENTER
ANNUAL HR CITY REPORTCARD
Slice 11
The End
Education about human rights provides people with information about human rights
HRE includes learning about
The inherent dignity of all people and their rights to be treated with respect
Human rights principles– universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human
rights How human rights promote participation in decision-
making and the peaceful resolution of conflicts The history and continuing development of human rights Regional, national, state, local and international law
– Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) or the Convention on the Rights of the Child
– Laws that reinforce international human rights law
HRE includes learning about
Using human rights law – to protect human rights– to call violators to account for their actions
Human rights violations – torture, genocide, or violence against women and the
social, economic, political, ethnic and gender biases that cause them
The persons and agencies that are responsible for promoting, protecting and respecting human rights
Education for human rights helps people feel the importance of human rights, internalize human rights values and integrate them into the way they live.
These values and attitudes include
“strengthening respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms” (UDHR, Article 30.2)
nurturing respect for others, self-esteem and hope understanding the nature of human dignity and respecting the
dignity of others empathizing with those whose rights are violated and feeling a
sense of solidarity with them recognizing that the enjoyment of human rights by all citizens is
a precondition to a just and humane society perceiving the human rights dimension of civil, social, political,
economic and cultural issues and conflicts both within the U.S. and within other countries
valuing non-violence and believing that cooperation is better than conflict
Education for human rights also gives people a sense of responsibility for respecting and defending human rights and empowers them, through learned skills, to take appropriate action.
These skills include Recognizing that human rights may be promoted and defended
on an individual, collective and institutional level developing critical understanding of life situations analyzing situations in moral terms realizing that unjust situations can be improved recognizing a personal and societal stake in the defense of
human rights analyzing factors that cause human rights violations knowing about and being able to use global, regional, national
and local human rights instruments and mechanisms for the protection of human rights
strategizing appropriate responses to injustice acting to promote and defend human rights